Aggies to Aggies held a Power and Privilege workshop to inform students on what privilege is and how to use it to help those in lesser positions.The workshop focused on different privileges within sex, gender orientation, sexual orientation, citizenship, race, socioeconomics, religion and ableism.
Aggies to Aggies is described as a peer diversity education program based in the Department of Multicultural Services. The purpose of Aggies to Aggies is to use workshops to educate students as well as broaden the understanding of what it means to be a socially aware Aggie, according to the Department of Multicultural Services’ website.
Participants in the workshop were instructed to read a set of statements within each category and check those that applied to themselves, with discussion following after. Statements within the different categories included “I do not have to worry about my next meal,” “I do not feel afraid of walking alone at night,” and “I am not asked why I chose my sexual orientation.”
Participants were asked to share their feelings and ideas on the statements. Students such as Lane Walker, international studies senior, discussed his personal experience at Texas A&M. As a member of the Corps, Walker discussed what it is like as a Corps Escorts to highlight the different experiences males and females have on campus.
“In all of my four years, I’ve never escorted a guy. It’s usually always women,” Walker said. “I’ve never had to fear for my safety while walking around campus at night.”
Esperanza Olivarez, psychology junior, talked about what it’s like being from an area of low socioeconomic status and how her economic standing influenced how people viewed her acceptance to Texas A&M.
“When I mentioned I was attending Texas A&M, people have asked me ‘How in the world did that happen?’” Olivarez said. “Or they say ‘I’m really happy they let y’all Mexicans in.”
Abreham Dadi, economics junior and Aggies to Aggies member, said he thinks it’s important to have workshops like these because not everyone is aware of minority issues.
“We never know what people are going through,” Dadi said. “The point of this workshop is to identify privilege and learn how to use this privilege to help others.”
Dadi said he defines privilege as the different rights and benefits given to people by their identities.
Aggies to Aggies holds four other workshops throughout the year, including “This Is Me,” which focuses on self identity and intersectionality within those identities, “Intent vs Impact: Understanding Microaggressions,” “Understanding Culture and Cultural Differences” and a workshop that focuses on cultural appropriation.